Mon, 20 February, 2023
100%Open co-founder, David Simoes-Brown
The Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator team are working alongside 100%Open on a new initiative for SMEs in the Tees Valley; ‘Life is a Pitch.’
100%Open help organisations to create new products and services by connecting them with the best people, ideas and technologies in an open innovation environment for more efficient, creative and speedy innovations.
We took some time to find out more…
Can you start by introducing yourself and your role at 100%Open?
I’m David, and I co-founded 100%Open almost 15 years ago. I’ve got a wife, two daughters and enjoy restoring old stuff - possibly as an antidote to my day job in innovation! My overall role is to keep the company pushing the boundaries of business collaboration. In practice, this means helping ‘the suits meet the sneakers’ in ever more productive ways.
How did you become involved in ‘Life is a Pitch’ and what are you bringing to the campaign?
Life’s a Pitch was originally the name for our storytelling and pitching course and I was flattered that TIA asked to borrow it! I got involved in TIA through a relationship with TWI through our corporate innovator network called Union. In fact, this is a great example of how networks work – one of the SME attendees on the storytelling course we ran for the Energy Systems Catapult liked it, and now works for TWI. Small world.
Why do you think it is so important to make sure pitches are done properly for SMEs?
It’s a cliché that you only get one chance to make a first impression. And like most clichés it’s true. Paradoxically, the best pitches do not come from the point of view of the inventor, they come from the point of view of the investor. We call this business empathy and it’s important to not let your enthusiasm for your tech dominate an understanding of what the audience needs.
Of course, the campaign is focussed on the Tees Valley region, what do you see as the particular challenges in this area for innovators?
In a recent Government report, Tees Valley was named the most innovative area in the north, and 7th overall - higher than London! So the problem isn’t a lack of ideas, it’s a lack of market connections to scale them. All great innovations need great customers. I am not sure if this is true for your area but I have seen a relative lack of confidence holding back business innovation in the North East. So let’s pitch with conviction!
You work to help businesses realise their innovations – why do you think innovation is so important for companies, both big and small?
Because the world is changing rapidly, any company that rests on its laurels is soon obsolete. Even super traditional products and services are now operating in a global market, overshadowed by climate change, Brexit and rampant inflation. Innovation can’t solve all these issues straight away but it can certainly help.
Thanks for your time, but before you go, is there anything else you would like to add?
Come to the course expecting to learn by doing. Everything we will go through will be about your business challenges rather than abstract case studies. Finally, we encourage peer support, so expect to teach as well as learn!
Tees Valley Innovation Accelerator (TIA) is receiving up to £1,575,338 of funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020. The Northern Powerhouse is a key aspect of this Government’s approach to addressing the productivity gap in the North and ensuring a stronger, more sustainable economy for all parts of the UK.